Rating: Summary: The Raw Power of Jealousy Review: This is a duel of sorts between Hopkins and Baldwin, and its sheer and brutal. Hopkins plays a very rich man who has a very beautiful lady, and of course Baldwin is the anti-hero newspaperman, you think, who doesn't think much of rich people in this film, and he's got the hots for Hopkins' girl. It's the typical love triangle, but in the wild, and when everyone gets stranded, it becomes the story about who knows what about staying alive. A fascinating film and filled with surprises.
Rating: Summary: WONDERFUL, INTENSE , AND UNFORGETABLE ! Review: This is one of my favorite adventure-suspense films of all time. After a horrifying plane crash, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins, and ??? get stranded in the Alaskin wilderness. Then, just when things couldn't possibly get any worse, they must fight a blood thirsty grizzly bear to stay alive! Will they succeed? This movie is wonderful and exciting to say the least. The acting is great, the scenery is breathtaking, and the storyline & plot are convincing & very life-like. Enjoyable.
Rating: Summary: Superb, Thoughtful Action Thriller! Review: When famed writer David Mamet turns his attention to the fascinating subject of man's nature and his struggle to survive in the wilderness, the likelihood is that a fascinating movie will result. And with this depiction of a small group of men, including a reclusive and introspective fifty-something tycoon (Sir Anthony Hopkins), a shifty and conniving fashion photographer (Alec Baldwin), Mamet sets the stage for a mammoth struggle for the survival of the fittest as he pits the men against both a wily Kodiak bear as well as against each other. The other members of the stranded party is killed by the bear in quick fashion, leaving only Hopkins and Baldwin try to improvise some way to figure out how to get back to civilization and outrun this bear with an appetite for humans. There are a number of subplots running through the action sequences, and a number of plot twists that serve to illustrate that it isn't necessarily the strongest that survive so much as it is the smartest and most adaptable of the antagonists. Yet this is not merely a testosterone-enriched script, for there are a number of elements in the story that lend themselves to viewing the characters (including the bear) with compassion and understanding of the complex ways in which the way we behave both actively and indirectly influences our chances at surviving. In the midst of all this action and plot activity remains the singular beauty of the landscape, and in all their travails the characters are consistently outshadowed by the sheer scope of the topography, climate and setting of the great Alaskan wilderness. It is almost as if the director is suggesting we get ourselves sand our petty personal concerns in context and perspective, and seen against the shadow of the great outdoors, their troubles seem much smaller and more manageable indeed. This is a great movie, a film with a great story, interesting dialogue, and a terrific ensemble of actors supporting the thrust of the tale. Enjoy!
Rating: Summary: Great movie, though very overlooked Review: I saw The Edge in the theater and didn't expect anything more then a run of the mill action/wilderness picture. What I got was one brilliantly acted and directed film. OK, first we are dealing with Tony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin---these guys play thier roles with extreme professionalism and tact. And I must add Bart the Bear, who plays the man-eating monster Hopkins and Baldwin must overcome while all the while dealing with thier own conflicts towards one another. Bart is truly an awesome animal and is worth the admission price just to watch. But this movie is chalked full of dialouge and feeling that goes way beyond the awesome visual story. Man, if you like a well told story with a message, breath-taking nature shots and acting that for some reason was over-looked at oscar time...you should check this one out. It is a sleeper.....I don't know why it wasn't more critically acclaimed when it was released but who knows---that is usually how it goes. I give it a solid 8 and a half out of 10. JF
Rating: Summary: The Edge Is Awesome Review: Just want to write a letter to say how I just viewed the Edge and man is this is great movie. I have never been out to Alaska or Vancouver where I heard this movie was filmed but the scenery is awesome. Finest movie I have ever seen and very well directed and script is also believeable. This could happen to you and me, I mean this movie is so realistic. I have always been a big fan of Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins and these two Superstars are great together, they need to make more movies together.Mr Tamborini are you going to make a Part 2 to this movie? If you do Anthony Hopkins has to be in the movie along with that beautiful lady who played the part of his wife.
Rating: Summary: The Edge of Self Review: As character portraits go, this movie is a tour de force. The plot may be predictable, but the character drawn by Anthony Hopkins is masterful. A likeable, if self-effacing, intellectual in the beginning of the movie, Hopkins finds himself and learns that his true riches reside within himself. We see his bravado grow into genuine confidence as he comes to recognize that his resourcefulness really is unique. Shedding unnecessary layers of his life along the way, Hopkins walks out of the wilderness of Alaska and the wilderness of his self. He emerges as a transformed version of himself, having added wisdom to knowledge and courage to assurance while retaining the basic decency that characterized him from the beginning. Alex Baldwin's portrait of Robert, the photographer, is equally competent. It is not possible to admire his character, but one must applaud his portrayal. The supporting roles are at least adequate, and in some cases, more than adequate, but the real standouts are Hopkins, Baldwin, and the wonderful wilderness scenery. This review would not be complete without naming a favorite scene in the film: near the end, Hopkins disembarks from the rescue helicopter and receives recognition and acknowledgement from two backwoodmen in the form of a subtle nod. Very nice!
Rating: Summary: Knowledge is Power! Review: Whoa, old people are smart. One of the richest men in the world is stranded in the woods with a model photographer and a whiny guy who just gets in the way. After their plane crashed, the pilot had died on impact and the three men argued with each other. They shouldn't die of shame, so they should walk towards their cabin. Unfortunately, it's over 80 miles away and they don't have anything to eat. The billionaire (Anthony Hopkins) leads the pack and they encounter a man-killing bear. Alec Baldwin is the photographer who is suspected of having an affair with Hopkins' wife played by Elle McPherson. The noisy guy is played by somebody worth no recognition. Bart the Bear delivers his best performance as the bear on the loose. They overcome most of the odds and live in the wild, temporarily. After the noisy guy was eaten, the two men decided to fight the bear. "What one man can do, another can do!" Then the camera zoomed in on Hopkins' face and he delivers one of the funniest lines in history, "...cuz today, I'm going to kill the MF." Classic. I don't think I want to go camping ever again or wait, go camping for the first time after watching this movie. Those people on "Survivor" are lucky they have rice and competitions to earn food. No, these men actually have to catch living animals to stay in the game. No Jeff Probst to annoy them, they have each other to do that. This movie is great with its surviving the game plot, but falls on its face when it involves the affair the photographer and the wife had. They should have left that out. But, oh well. Good movie.
Rating: Summary: Bear with me... Review: This is a thrilling movie about the power of reason in overcoming all odds. It takes three men with three different philosophies and drops them straight into a man against nature situation. The timid and the irrational men quickly get into trouble while the creative, thinking man ends up getting... well, I won't spoil it for you but I promise this one is a keeper! :o)
Rating: Summary: The Edge of your seat thrill ride! Review: Lee Tamahori (Once were Warriors, Along Came a Spider)'s underrated thriller starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin is an exciting adventure that is not only an all- star film (including Elle Macpherson) but also has great action and one huge grizzly bear! Why this film wasn't really successful is unclear, some critics moaned about the ending but I think it wraps the film up while being devoid of sentiment and has some good statements about friendship and survival. Anthony Hopkins is excellent in this, and Baldwin has his best role since The Hunt For Red October (1990). Some scenes in this are truly terrifying and exciting, and it makes for a really exhilarating roller coaster of a film. First-rate entertainment.
Rating: Summary: ...they died saving my life Review: All said and done, this is a good movie, albeit one that may take a couple viewings to really get the message. For me, "The Edge" is what Charles (Anthony Hopkins) is on, emotionally and spiritually. The isolationism of a privileged life, the seperation between Charles and Bob (Alec Baldwin) because of it. The freedom of this lifestyle has allowed Charles time to fill up on seemingly trivial and theoretical knowledge - until the time of testing comes. And its not just a "survival movie" in terms of battling the elements and scene-stealing grizzly bears. Its about surviving yourself, how you've lived your life and the decisions you've made in the past which have put you where you are now. Sub-plots about the wife being in cahoots with Bob to kill Charles are really only secondary to the true story line - which is all, in fact, about Charles. In the end, his life WAS saved, although not just physically. And this, I believe, is the true purport of this film. We may all want to be put to the test in some way, but it may not always come in the way, or the time of our choosing. A thought provoking film whose tenents can be applied in any situation.
|